[78-L] Mitch Miller Horrifies

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julian Vein" <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk>
> David Lennick wrote:
>> And nobody brought them back and asked for refunds. I'm getting a little 
>> pissed
>> off at the general tone of this thread. We're all free to poop on Mitch 
>> Miller
>> and generally do, but the fact of the matter is that nobody held a gun to
>> Goddard Lieberson's head (or anyone else at Columbia) and said "Hire our 
>> boy
>> Mitch and screw up the music forever or kiss your kneecaps goodbye". He
>> produced hit records. He happened to produce them in an era known for 
>> boring
>> crap, imitation country and western, stolen folk songs, novelties 
>> featuring
>> barking dogs, an era that is generally regarded as a low point in popular 
>> music
>> and one which could only have led to the rise by default of rock 'n' roll 
>> and
>> R&B, and he made records that SOLD. There was garbage before Mitch came 
>> along,
>> too. And Sinatra made some stinkers before Mitch was at Columbia..check 
>> out
>> "The Dum Dot Song".
>> dl
> ==============
> Miller certainly had his finger on the pulse of public musical taste.
> How much better would it have been if he hadn't found a pulse!
>
>
To REphrase the noted comment of H. L. Mencken:

"Nobody EVER went broke UNDERestimating the musical taste
of the North American public...?!"

...stevenc